Beltway pundits could also be monitoring the newest polls for the presidential election, however there’s one other White Home choose the meals world might be watching. The query on many chef’s minds proper now could be: Who would be the subsequent White Home Government Chef? The job not solely requires cooking for POTUS and the primary household, but in addition planning elaborate state dinners and a little bit of menu diplomacy to fulfill the tastes of heads-of-states visiting Washington, DC.
In late July, Cristeta Comerford (White Home nickname “Cheffie”) introduced her retirement after nearly three a long time of service. In White Home historical past, she is the primary lady and particular person of shade to function White Home Government Chef. And her departure got here with heaps of reward from the meals world together with Ina Garten and José Andrés, who was the primary to leak the information on X.
In complete, Comerford ready meals for 5 presidents—from Invoice Clinton to Joe Biden—and 54 state dinners. That’s no small feat contemplating the typical state dinner takes about six months to organize for the multicourse meal. Just lately that included dinners for visiting heads of state from Kenya, Japan, and India working carefully with First Girl Dr. Jill Biden.
“I all the time say, meals is love,” FLOTUS stated in a ready assertion to Bon Appétit. “Via her barrier-breaking profession, Chef Cris has led her workforce with heat and creativity and nourished our souls alongside the best way. With all our hearts, Joe and I are stuffed with gratitude for her dedication and years of service.”
As chef she has needed to toe the road of menu diplomacy. That features state dinners which steadiness American dishes alongside country-specific influences. For French Prime Minister Emmanuel Macron’s go to in 2022, Comerford and her workforce created a particular French-inspired cheese course spotlighting an American blue cheese from Rogue Creamery in Oregon.
Comerford’s legacy additionally features a renovation of the White Home kitchen constructed greater than a century in the past. She leaves a moderately massive toque to fill, leaving many to surprise: Who might be America’s subsequent commander-in-chef?
The White Home formally says, “no remark,” so let’s stir the pot and speculate on who is likely to be subsequent.
Swing State Cooks
You can’t get to The White Home with out stumping in just a few swing states. We see some apparent decisions in battleground states.
Asheville, North Carolina’s Katie Button (Cúrate and La Bodega by Cúrate) has amassed a nationwide following making her one-to-watch. Final 12 months, she accepted an invite by The White Home to organize the Australia state dinner.
Button additionally has the ringing endorsement of Joanna and Chip Gaines following her latest Magnolia Community deal. And she or he’s no stranger to working inside-the-Beltway. Cúrate’s Spanish-style menu was influenced by her earliest days as a DC chef working for Chef José Andrés at Café Atlántico. Will she return to Washington?
We additionally like the percentages for Hai Hai and Hola Arepa’s Christina Nguyen. As 2024 James Beard’s Greatest Chef Midwest, she brings Minnesota good to a possible White Home chef ticket. Like Comerford, Nguyen has no formal culinary faculty coaching. As an alternative, her dishes are influenced by her household’s Vietnamese heritage and journey all through Southeast Asia. This lived cooking expertise contains brilliant and daring flavors in dishes like coconut shrimp toast and rooster laab lettuce wraps.
